Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22C—FOUNDRY MOULDING
  • B22C9/00—Moulds or cores; Moulding processes
  • B22C9/06—Permanent moulds for shaped castings
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22C—FOUNDRY MOULDING
  • B22C9/00—Moulds or cores; Moulding processes
  • B22C9/10—Cores; Manufacture or installation of cores
  • B22C9/106—Vented or reinforced cores
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22C—FOUNDRY MOULDING
  • B22C9/00—Moulds or cores; Moulding processes
  • B22C9/02—Sand moulds or like moulds for shaped castings
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22C—FOUNDRY MOULDING
  • B22C9/00—Moulds or cores; Moulding processes
  • B22C9/10—Cores; Manufacture or installation of cores
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22C—FOUNDRY MOULDING
  • B22C9/00—Moulds or cores; Moulding processes
  • B22C9/20—Stack moulds, i.e. arrangement of multiple moulds or flasks
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22C—FOUNDRY MOULDING
  • B22C9/00—Moulds or cores; Moulding processes
  • B22C9/22—Moulds for peculiarly-shaped castings
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D23/00—Casting processes not provided for in groups B22D1/00 - B22D21/00
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D25/00—Special casting characterised by the nature of the product
  • B22D25/02—Special casting characterised by the nature of the product by its peculiarity of shape; of works of art
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
  • B22F5/00—Manufacture of workpieces or articles from metallic powder characterised by the special shape of the product
  • B22F5/007—Manufacture of workpieces or articles from metallic powder characterised by the special shape of the product of moulds
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C33/00—Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C39/00—Shaping by casting, i.e. introducing the moulding material into a mould or between confining surfaces without significant moulding pressure; Apparatus therefor
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C39/00—Shaping by casting, i.e. introducing the moulding material into a mould or between confining surfaces without significant moulding pressure; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C39/22—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C39/00—Shaping by casting, i.e. introducing the moulding material into a mould or between confining surfaces without significant moulding pressure; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C39/22—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
  • B29C39/26—Moulds or cores
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C39/00—Shaping by casting, i.e. introducing the moulding material into a mould or between confining surfaces without significant moulding pressure; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C39/22—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
  • B29C39/36—Removing moulded articles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B33—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
  • B33Y—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
  • B33Y80/00—Products made by additive manufacturing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
  • B22F10/00—Additive manufacturing of workpieces or articles from metallic powder
  • B22F10/10—Formation of a green body
  • B22F10/18—Formation of a green body by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF]
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
  • B22F10/00—Additive manufacturing of workpieces or articles from metallic powder
  • B22F10/20—Direct sintering or melting
  • B22F10/28—Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
  • B22F10/00—Additive manufacturing of workpieces or articles from metallic powder
  • B22F10/30—Process control
  • B22F10/32—Process control of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber
  • B22F10/322—Process control of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber of the gas flow, e.g. rate or direction
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
  • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
  • G05B2219/00—Program-control systems
  • G05B2219/30—Nc systems
  • G05B2219/45—Nc applications
  • G05B2219/45244—Injection molding
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P10/00—Technologies related to metal processing
  • Y02P10/25—Process efficiency

Definitions

• the present disclosure relates to internal combustion engines.
• Cast engine components are often created using molds and cores. Cores for a given engine are often created in a piecemeal manner, where each core corresponds to a chamber or conduit within the engine.
• the use of piecemeal cores in the casting process often entails several disadvantages, including casting variance resulting from assembling an engine core from several piecemeal cores. Another disadvantage involves requiring drafts, which can result in suboptimal core configurations and unnecessary weight. Further, casting with piecemeal cores can be cumbersome, entailing high development times, increased modeling time and complexity, and other issues.
• One embodiment relates to a method of casting an engine.
• the method includes printing a single-piece core of the engine according to specifications in a three-dimensional print file, the specifications corresponding to each hollow interior feature of the engine.
• the method further includes casting the engine using the single-piece core.
• One embodiment relates to a casting process for manufacturing an engine.
• the casting process includes pouring a material in liquid state into a mold and solidifying the material to create a cast.
• a single-piece core is located within the mold.
• An internal shape of the mold corresponds to an external shape of the engine.
• An external shape of the single-piece core corresponds to an internal shape of the engine.
• the cast has an external shape corresponding to the internal shape of the mold, and an internal shape corresponding to the external shape of the single-piece core.
• FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an engine, according to an example embodiment.
• FIG. 2 shows an exploded diagram of various piecemeal cores prior to final assembly in a conventional assembly process.
• FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a single piece core, according to an example embodiment.
• FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a method of casting an engine using a single piece core, according to an example embodiment.
• an engine 100 is configured to cyclically collect and ignite controlled volumes of air and fuel (e.g., gasoline, diesel, natural gas, and so on) to generate a mechanical force.
• the engine 100 includes a cylinder head portion 102, a block portion 104, and a crankcase portion 106.
• each of the portions in the engine 100 includes a variety of chambers, channels, jackets, ports and other internal features within.
• some of the internal features route air through the engine 100, other features route fuel through the engine 100, and yet other features serve supporting roles (e.g., housing a crank, housing pistons, routing cooling media, etc.).
• the cylinder head portion 102 may include a plurality of ports configured to house a corresponding plurality of valves.
• the block portion 104 includes a plurality of cylinders configured to house a corresponding plurality of pistons, such that each of the plurality of cylinders is in fluid receiving and providing communication with the plurality of ports in the cylinder head portion 102.
• the crankcase portion 106 includes a cavity configured to house a crankshaft and associated rods operatively engaged to the plurality of pistons in the block portion 104.
• the cylinder head portion 102 and the block portion 104 are manufactured separately (e.g., by casting), and then removably coupled to each other.
• a leak-proof seal may be provided by a deformable gasket disposed at an interface between the cylinder head portion 102 and the block portion 104.
• the gasket may fail over the course of operation of the engine 100. Therefore periodically replacing the gasket is a commonly required service event in engines assembled in accordance with conventional processes.
• the engine 100 may be manufactured through a casting process.
• a material in a liquid state e.g., molten iron
• a material in a liquid state e.g., molten iron
• the cast may be removed from the mold by breaking or otherwise dismantling the mold.
• one or more corresponding cores may be utilized in conjunction with a mold in the casting process.
• a core is an object having an external shape that corresponds to an internal shape of a cast.
• one or more cores may be positioned within a mold during a casting process, such that a resulting cast has an exterior shape corresponding to the interior shape of the mold, as well as interior features corresponding to each of the one or more cores.
• the core may be made from any of a variety of approaches, including the use of green sand cores, dry sand cores, lost cores, which may be used in conjunction with one or more binders (e.g., synthetic oils).
• cores may be produced from a three- dimensional printing process, for example via an extrusion process or through the use of a powder bed.
• the mold and each of the cores may be made by first generating a digital three- dimensional model of the mold or core.
• the model may be generated as a computer-aided design ("CAD") file, through a three dimensional scanner, through a digital camera with accompanying photogrammetry software, and so on.
• Models are commonly generated through the use of computing systems having one or more processors operatively coupled to a non- transient data storage medium and performing operations determined by various software applications stored therein.
• the model may then be used to provide production specifications for the mold and/or the cores, for example to be used in a three-dimensional printing process.
• FIG. 2 shows a plurality of individual cores 200 prior to final assembly in a conventional assembly process.
• Each of the plurality of individual cores 200 corresponds with some hollow interior aspect of the engine 100 shown in FIG. 1.
• the plurality of individual cores 200 includes a set of exhaust port cores 202, a set of intake port cores 204, a water jacket core 206, and a set of cylinder cores 208.
• the plurality of cores 200 may be used in a casting process to create exhaust ports, intake ports, a water jacket, and cylinders within an engine cast, respectively.
• each of the plurality of cores 200 needs to be separately created, and ultimately assembled into one or more core systems to create the intended interior features of an engine cast.
• variance can occur across core systems (e.g., due to variance in an assembly process) or even across individual cores (i.e., producing varying internal features from cast to cast).
• the need to assemble individual cores may require casting the cylinder head portion 102 separately from the block portion 104.
• joining a cylinder head portion 102 with a separate block portion 104 entails several disadvantages, including requiring gasket service, reduced cylinder pressures, and so on.
• FIG. 3 An example of a single-piece core 300 according to various embodiments is shown in FIG. 3.
• the single-piece core 300 results from a digital three- dimensional model and is formed via a three-dimensional printing process as a single piece.
• the single-piece core 300 includes a combined cylinder head and block core 302, which includes sections corresponding to each hollow feature within the cylinder head portion 102 and the block portion 104 of the engine 100.
• a cast created from the single-piece core 300 does not include an interface between the cylinder head portion 102 and the block portion 104 (i.e., no head gasket would be needed).
• Monolithic cylinder head and block casts produced from combined cylinder head and block core 302 may therefore exhibit improved stability and resistance to mechanical and thermal stresses in operation.
• the single-piece core 300 may be created by, for example, designing a CAD file such that each section of the single-piece core 300 is connected to another section of the core.
• the combined cylinder head and block core 302 may be formed without any drafts, which may otherwise be needed in prior art arrangements incorporating a plurality of smaller cores. Further, core sections corresponding to weight reduction pockets in a cast engine may be formed into the combined cylinder head and block core 302 with increased precision and accuracy compared to the prior art. [0025]
• the combined cylinder head and block core 302 may also include a plurality of gas vents 304 formed into various core sections. For example, core sections corresponding to exhaust ports may be formed to include the gas vents 304.
• the gas vents 304 are configured to provide an avenue of gas flow through the combined cylinder head and block core 302 during the casting process, thereby reducing gas porosity.
• gas vents 304 are integrated into the single-piece core (e.g., is included in a corresponding CAD file), the gas vents 304 do not need to be drilled into core sections after the core has been formed (i.e., as would be needed in prior art arrangements).
• the single-piece core 300 includes accessory features formed along with the combined cylinder head and block core 302.
• the single-piece core 300 may include a tie bar 306 formed around a periphery of the combined cylinder head and block core 302, and a base 308 formed at a bottom portion of the cylinder head and block core 302.
• the tie bar 306 may serve as a mounting point for packaging and shipping containers (e.g., to secure the single-piece core 300 within a shipping container).
• the base 308 may serve as a point of contact with the ground, such that any wear and tear during transit or storage is inflicted on the base 308 as opposed to a bottom portion of the combined cylinder head and block core 302.
• Engines are manufactured using single-piece cores (e.g., the single-piece core 300) formed from a three-dimensional printing process, as described above.
• a three-dimensional print file is generated.
• the three-dimensional print file is generated as, for example, a CAD file, a three-dimensional scan, or one or more processed digital photographs.
• the three-dimensional print file is generated to include specifications for core sections corresponding to each hollow feature within a desired engine cast.
• the three-dimensional print file includes specifications for a combined cylinder head and block core (e.g., the combined cylinder head and block core 302), configured to be used to produce a single-piece, combined cylinder head and block cast.
• the three-dimensional print file includes specifications for one or more accessory features (e.g., the tie bar 306, the base 308, etc.), and/or gas vents.
• a single-piece core (e.g., the single-piece core 300) is printed.
• the single- piece core is printed in accordance with a three-dimensional print file (e.g., as generated at 402).
• the single-piece core may be printed using a three-dimensional printing process, for example via the use of a powder bed or through an extrusion process.
• accessory features e.g., the tie bar 306, the base 308, etc.
• the accessory features may be removed by, for example, cutting (e.g., sawing), grinding, or breaking off the accessory features.
• an engine e.g., the engine 100
• the engine is cast using the single- piece core printed at 404 disposed in a mold.
• a liquid casting media e.g., molten metal
• the mold may then be broken apart or otherwise dismantled, and the core may be disintegrated and removed from the interior of the engine.
• the term "coupled” means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary or moveable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being attached to one another. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature.
• inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein.
• any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure.
• the technology described herein may be embodied as a method, of which at least one example has been provided.
• the acts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way unless otherwise specifically noted. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.
• Implementations (and portions thereof) described in this specification can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them.
• the implementations described in this specification can be implemented as one or more computer programs, i.e., one or more sets of computer program instructions, encoded on one or more computer storage media for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus.
• the program instructions can be encoded on an artificially-generated propagated signal, e.g., a machine- generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal that is generated to encode information for transmission to suitable receiver apparatus for execution by a data processing apparatus.
• a computer storage medium can be, or be included in, a computer-readable storage device, a computer-readable storage substrate, a random or serial access memory array or device, or a combination of one or more of them.
• a computer storage medium is not a propagated signal, a computer storage medium can be a source or destination of computer program instructions encoded in an artificially-generated propagated signal.
• the computer storage medium can also be, or be included in, one or more separate components or media (e.g., multiple CDs, disks, or other storage devices). Accordingly, the computer storage medium is both tangible and non-transitory.
• the operations described in this specification can be performed by a controller or a data processing apparatus on data stored on one or more computer-readable storage devices or received from other sources.
• data processing apparatus or “controller” encompasses all kinds of apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example a programmable processor, a computer, a system on a chip, or multiple ones, or combinations of the foregoing.
• the apparatus can include special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit).
• the apparatus can also include, in addition to hardware, code that creates an execution environment for a computer program, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, a cross-platform runtime environment, a virtual machine, or a combination of one or more of them.
• code that creates an execution environment for a computer program e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, a cross-platform runtime environment, a virtual machine, or a combination of one or more of them.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Molds, Cores, And Manufacturing Methods Thereof (AREA)
• Moulds For Moulding Plastics Or The Like (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Related Child Applications (1)

Publications (3)

Family

ID=58188220

Family Applications (2)

Family Applications After (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (6)

Family Cites Families (19)

• 2016
  • 2016-08-29 EP EP16842753.2A patent/EP3345059B1/de active Active
  • 2016-08-29 CN CN202110395095.1A patent/CN113118384B/zh active Active
  • 2016-08-29 CN CN201680047451.8A patent/CN107924165B/zh active Active
  • 2016-08-29 US US15/755,955 patent/US20180339334A1/en active Pending
  • 2016-08-29 BR BR112018002747-2A patent/BR112018002747B1/pt active IP Right Grant
  • 2016-08-29 EP EP21195830.1A patent/EP3940464A1/de active Pending
  • 2016-08-29 WO PCT/US2016/049258 patent/WO2017040403A1/en active Application Filing

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events